Some Things Are Just Best Left in the Past
by cookiegoilforever
Summary: Mush loves Ally, that's no question, but when Ally and Spot's past come to haunt them for a final time, Ally wants to do what she's done her whole life: run.
1. The Rooftop

** Some Things Are Just Best Left in the Past  
  
A/N:** This is my first real fan fiction that I'm posting. I'd appreciate criticism and compliments! Thankies!  
Oh yes, and the story is a bit confusing. The point of view (POV) changes a lot. Just watch for when it says POV  
  
**Disclaimer:** In case you didn't know, I do not own Newsies or any of the Characters, They're all property of Disney. But, I do own Ally and this story. If any other characters are used, there will be a disclaimer before that chapter.

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_Ally's POV_

The evening was calm and cool. A stunning pink, orange, yellow, and purple sunset was in the distance. "Our" half of the sky was shadowy, with a sparkling moon hanging peacefully upon it. His strong, reassuring arm wrapped around me. The night was perfectly romantic...  
  
...except for the fact that the "reassuring" arm need to be reassuring. I laid my head on his chest, recollecting my thoughts. I sadly raised my head until my hazel eyes, shiny with tears, met his warm, loving, chocolate brown eyes. A sorry look of confusion and hurt danced in those eyes. I could feel my heart break. I couldn't tell him why I had to leave, but it was the most painful thing for both of us. _Why does the past have to come back to haunt me at the best time of my life?_ I slowly lowered my head and gazed at the perfect sunset. He did the same. I do not know how long we stayed in this position, his arm still wrapped around me. We both were only the age of sixteen, and we didn't want to deal with anything like this. As the night grew darker, our spirits gradually followed. Unlike we expected, not a single star lit the night. It was as if there was no hope. A cool breeze rippled across the rooftop of the lodging house, a small disturbance to the silence. Clearly taking advantage of the moment, both of us shuffled a bit. I ventured to raise my head again to see the feeling in his eyes. A hopeful, thoughtful hurt glimmered about his entire face. Both of us would have been content to remain in our current position, but we had to face reality someday.  
  
I slightly withdrew from him, and he pulled his arm back. Sitting upright, I gazed at his face, searching for a bit of understanding that I knew I would not find, for not even I understood.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I-we- cannot do this forever. Ignoring the truth never works" I softly spoke, shifting my body weight.  
  
"I know," he replied as he brushed a golden-brown hair out of my eyes.  
  
"Mush, New York isn't the place for me. I am not a newsie. This isn't the life..." I whispered, fading out, not wanting to accept the truth that I knew I had to. If only he knew why I couldn't be here!  
  
"I know, Ally, and I won't stop ya. Der's sometin more you ain't telling me. I ain't gonna force ya to say anything. Der's notin I can do about it. But not knowing where you are, and knowing you ain't here with me and won't be just, just_ kills_ me. And I want to be together, but I want da best for you. And apparently sometin is making here not that place. I would do anything for you; you know that, don't ya?" Mush responded in a way that shattered my heart as he grabbed my hand and we locked fingers.  
  
Tears streamed wildly down my cheeks now, "Yes," I whispered through tears, "I love you too." Mush's eyes wetted as he wiped a tear away with his fingers. I couldn't bear it any longer. I stood up, lifted my skirts, and hastened to the exterior staircase. The night seemed to instantly become colder, and it stung more than ever now. There was no way I'd return to the lodging house tonight. Anyway, I had too much to think about.

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_Third person POV_

Mush glumly climbed down from the rooftop. Now a single star twinkled among the tar black sky. Mush blinked at it. _One. One star. _He bitterly thought. Reluctantly, Mush wandered to the Manhatten Lodging House, followed by an attempt to sneak in without waking the other boys.  
  
"Too late for sneakin, Mush, Youse just got caught" Jack Kelly whispered. He was gazing on a photo by the light of a candle. In one smooth move, he set the candle in a box, put the box in a hole under the sink, and replaced the brick he had removed to reveal the box's hiding place. Mush walked into the candle light, and he had not seen any of Jack's moving of the box.

"Cowboy? Whatcha doin down here?" Mush asked, somewhat surprised.

"Notin' important. Sides, dis is about you. Why are youse late...?" Jack said, and then stopped and whispered, "...is it Ally?"

"No big deal, Cowboy," Mush replied, not wanting to damage his pride. Sighing with defeat, he continued. "It's just, I mean—is she here?"

"Nope, sorry. She ain't here... don't know if she's comin back. Likely not tonight" Jack, a boy of 17 simply replied, pushing his brown hair away from his face. Rising, Mush walked to the washroom, followed by Jack who lit the way with the candle.

"Cowboy, I love Ally. She's perfect. I can't imagine where she's gonna go, or why. If I can't be with her, I at least want to know she's safe."

"Yeah Mush, I know, but Ally can't be here forever. We all knew dat when she came. You know dis ain't her home, or her life. Trust me, I know. She's a dreamer, Mush, like me. Dis ain't where she wants to be."

"Yeah Jack, but, how da ya know so much about her? I know she trusts you, but you guys have a special connection. What is it?" Mush asked, while setting out his clothes so they'd be nice for the morning. He walked to the sink and washed his face. With only Jack's candle, the wash room was dimly lit, matching his mood. Jack, deep in thought about something, rubbed his eye, a habit of when thinking.

"Mush, some things are just best left in the past. Come'n, we'll talk later. I'm tired." Jack led back to the bunkroom, where he blew out the candle and climbed into his top bunk next to the window. _Hmm, a full moon, and stars... guess Mush's starless night cleared..._ Jack thought before rolling over to his side. A glimmer of knowing and pain shot through his eyes before he closed them and fell asleep. 

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Well? What do ya think? My first fanfic chapter. I hope you like it. Please review! 


	2. Not much gets past me, especially when i...

** Some Things are Just Best Left in the Past**  
  
**A/N:** I am sorry this took so long to update. I wrote chapter 2, and both my previewers offered some advice and I rewrote it a few times (4 to be exact). Thanks for your patience.

**Review Replys:**

Look who got reviews! That's right! I got my first reviews! Thanks guys!  
_Southern Spell: _Thanks! I'll keep writing, you keep reading and reviewing!  
_Skips: _Yup! Jack's box is in the first script, along with the photo. That is directly out of the first script. Update or else? Or else what? Dare I test you? Carryin the banner.  
_Diariesofthepast1899: _I'm glad you like it.. Ohh you were hanging? yay!! I think thats a good thing...go me go me go me.. sorry a little bit of joy there.

For those of you who haven't read the original script (may I ask why not?) Here is the quote about Jack and his little box:

_JACK dislodges a brick under a sink, reaches deep into the hole to pull out a small box. He removes some photographs   
and papers, revealing a little stash of money, mostly silver. He quietly adds two quarters, pausing to look at:  
  
INSERT- A PHOTO A FAMILY is posed before a painted western backdrop, two BOYS and their PARENTS._

__

**A/N: **Point of view (POV) changes many times from now on. Just look for the little POV under the page break. I hope it doesn't confuse you!

Without further adieu, Chapter 2! (oh that rhymes...)

**

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**Spot's POV**

"Sell dah papes! Carryin da Bannah! Come on boys, wake up! Wake up!"   
_Ugggghh_ I rolled over, not ready to be woken up for the day. "Go away, lemme sleep!" I groaned at Jacob, the tall, thin 70-year-old who was in charge of the Brooklyn Newsboy's Lodging House. After a morning routine of playful fighting, I unwillingly crawled down from my top bunk. "Damn it!" I angrily said, forgetting about the cold concrete floor. A cool breeze came through the open window of the washroom, making the already icy water from the sink even colder. I reached for my gold topped cane, slingshot, and tugged on my key. As I took a few strides towards the door, some of the younger newsies stepped aside. I momentarily basked in my glory, but quickly joked around with the guys.

I nonchalantly sauntered down the streets of Brooklyn. I was kinda making "morning rounds" checking up with the street kids. I wandered towards the bridge, but in the meantime I checked the chalkboard for good headlines. _Hmm...nothing good...I gotta on Conlon!... ---_

"Well what have we here?" one of my newsies said to his friend, interrupting my "improvin" I knew they weren't talking to me, because they were a considerable distance away at the docks, so I watched. I didn't know who they were talking to, but I could tell it was a goil. She arose, and shouted at them to leave her alone. Out of habit, my hand slid down to my slingshot, ready to grasp it.

I heard the other boy continue, "Oh come on angel..." as he set his hand on her shoulder. The girl grabbed the boy's hand, and threw it firmly away from her. Upset, she marched away.   
My hand was already on my slingshot, so just for the satisfaction, I shot a marble at a glass bottle. I nodded at the pleasing _swish, shatter,_ and then walked towards the distribution office.

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** Ally's POV**   
  
_Gosh, the newsies! Why can't they just leave a girl alone?_ I thought to myself, disgusted at the boys who had woken me up by the docks. That made me laugh a bit, almost in a teasing myself way. _Ally, Mush is a newsie! Jack's a newsie..._ At the thought of Mush, my mood instantly transitioned back to the confusion and ache of the previous night. _If my parents didn't make that damn decision..._ I was quickly swept up in a whirlwind of emotion. I wanted to get out of my life, and run to another. _That's what your life has been Al, running_. But it didn't matter, I ran anyway. I had no direction, no purpose, nothing. I just ran into the heart of Brooklyn, in and out of busy crowds of mingling people.

Yet all I could hear was the tap of my feet against the street and the _swish_ of my skirt from movement. Even though there was a whole rainbow of colors, from people, to buildings, to trees, all I saw was foggy mess through my tears. I was completely surrounded, but I felt so alone. Suddenly, it felt like everything stopped. Life continued around me, but I stopped running, I stopped crying. I just stared at the ground and wandered aimlessly. Shadows of people littered the ground in front of me, but I didn't notice.

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**Third Person POV:**

Staring at the shadows on the ground, Ally didn't see that she was about to run into someone. He whirled around, with his hand on his gold topped cane to see what had bothered him. Coming out of her absence of mind, she hastily apologized, "Excuse me, I'm sorry..." Suddenly, she cut herself off. Her hazel eyes gazed straight into an icy blue pair. Immediately freezing, Ally nearly whispered to him, "Spot Conlon."

Spot's shoulders dropped, and his hand fell from his cane. A smirk crept on his face, "Samantha, haven't seen you in a while. Still living in Manhattan?"

Anger boiled inside Ally at the mention of her real name, it felt like stinging reminder. "Spot you know I am Ally Porter. Samantha James is gone. Long gone. Anyway, I came to Brooklyn for a reason."

"A reason, huh? Well, Sam, I've got a reason to talk to you too." Spot cut her off.

"So you've heard?" Ally questioned.

"Not much gets past me, especially when it involves me."

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There we go! Chapter two! I hope you all enjoyed it.. now start reviewing! I have already started chapter 3, but it will be about a week or so...until then, **Carrying the Banner!**


	3. I'm Outta Here

**A/N: **I've been having lots of computer problems lately, as has So that is why this took so long. I have to get off because we are still having problems. Review Replys and Author Notes and better editing will happen soon ;)

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That morning, Spot and I sold papers together in the streets of Brooklyn. I pretended, as did he, to be fully into the selling, but both of us only had one thing on our minds. I had an urge to just burst out and tell him even though I knew he had already heard. My mind only focused on one thing at a time, and won't change it until it's solved. Spot on the other hand, could temporarily push one thing to the side to concentrate on the main matter. Finally, I had to say something.

"Spot, do ya think Jack's heard?" I asked, but immediately after I thought of another thing and continued, "Or maybe he figures something has to happen, I mean I'm sixteen and you're almost eighteen next month, that's the 'age'..."

But I had to contradict myself yet again, "Well maybe he doesn't know that, I mean, we never told him the age, and he was never, well, um, 'first class' so he never learned those 'rules'" I said very quickly.

"Ally, Al. calm down. Nah I doubt Sullivan's heard. He may suspect something, but he won't know the age thing." Spot replied.

I fell back into silence, except for yelling "improved" headlines. Spot and I only made small talk for a while after that. I listened to sounds around me, people bustling about, birds 'choipen' (in Spot's ear) and a light breeze through the trees. I absent mindedly hawked papes, I was concentrating on sorting the mess out:

_Ok, Al, just do your original plan, just go west or something. Mush---well, he knows your hiding something, and you are. It's just best left in the past. But my parents, Spot's parents, and their "people" will definitely be looking, and asking street rats. Poor Mush, he doesn't know, he's too upset. What would he say to the messengers? Worse, what would Jack say? That's why he HAS to know. Spot and I have to pay a visit to Manhattan, but how can I go without running into Mush? Well, I will need to talk to him before I leave, so why not now? The sooner I leave the better, also, how can I find Jack to talk to him alone? I can't tell anyone else, which would mean I'd have to explain Jacob--Spot, and I. No, I can't. But Spot, I know he wouldn't get caught, he's too smart, but what if???_

"Spot, why don't we go over to Manhattan and let Jack know what's going on? I need to get outta here before too long, and I wanna say a last "I love you" to Mu--" I cut myself off. Surprisingly, Spot, the great leader, didn't now about my love for Mush. If he found out now, it'd only complicate things.

"Last 'I love you' to who, Al? Oh why did you have to fall in love?"

Damn Spot and his perfect hearing.

"Oh it's nothing, Spot. I just wanna say good-bye, alright?" If threw as one thing I knew about Spot, its that he'd do anything to make sure I was safe and happy, including making sure our parents and our 'little problem' didn't get in the way of any love I may have.

"Yea Ally. But why would you say good-bye? Where you gonna go?"

I let out a long sigh, "West Spot, I can't be found. Do you know what that could cause?" Of course he knew what that could cause!!

"Yes, I know exactly, what it'll cause. We'll talk about plans later, but I agree, lets go talk to Jacky-boy."

Later in the afternoon, Spot and I set out for Manhattan. The sun beat down hard now, it was summertime. I had become so used to the Brooklyn-Manhattan walk that it seemed to go by much quicker, but still gave me time to think, something I was quite good at. Just by looking in his icy eyes, I could tell Spot was thinking hard too. My thoughts turned to what had gotten me-us, Spot and I- into this mess.

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**Ally's Flashback, 3rd person POV**

"Samantha! Samantha!" Jacob Hannaway whispered through the open window of ten-year-old Samantha James. Sam rolled over in bed.

_Who would wake me up at this hour?_

"Sam, come on! Sam!"

_Oh, never mind, I know. What does Jacob want now? _

The girl did what she's done at least half a million times: Climbed out of bed, got dressed, popped the screen out of the window, crawled out onto the fire escape, slipped the screen back in and go on some crazy adventure with Jacob. They've been doing the routine since the James family and the Hannaway family became "friends" Five years ago, when Samantha was five and Jacob was seven. However, the parents' friendship was simply because both wealthy families were upper-class. "Jake" and "Sam's" relationship was different. They became the best of friends since their first adventure together. Jacob was the leader of the adventures, and was always looking for a way to cause trouble. He hated the upper-class life of banquets and fancy dinners. On the other hand, Sam was almost afraid of disobeying but was always up for an adventure with her best friend, although she was afraid of being caught the entire time.

So it was no surprise to Samantha when Jacob wanted to go to Central Park at five-thirty in the morning, when they weren't expected up until eight o'clock in the morning.

"Its summertime, meaning that the newsies are going to be selling this early, the suns already up. Lets go, come on!" Jacob urged Sam.

"Oh Jake, well, but um, you think..." Sam searched for an excuse not to go, but non came to her. Deep down, she wanted to go, and Jacob knew that.

"Oh come on" Jacob pressured Samantha.

"Alright, but we have to be back by six-thirty."

They began walking down to Central Park. Not a long journey, considering their houses were in Manhattan.

"Sam, wouldn't it be great to live an independent life like the newsies? No parties or fancy clothes or proper private schools." Jacob longed for any life where he didn't have to wear itchy suits and could run anywhere, anytime, he pleased.

"Well, yes, I suppose. But--" Sam was cut off by a boy of about eight, who was selling papers.

"Wanna buy a paper?" The kid asked.

"Well, that's not a very good selling tactic." Jake said, while handing the kid a penny. The kid was ready to pick a fight. Sam could tell and slowly backed away; hoping Jake would to, but he welcomed the fight.

"Yea, what would you know about selling? Yer just a hoity-toity proper kid." The newsie responded.

"Yea, well that doesn't mean I got no common sense"

The fight continued verbally and physically for about ten minutes. Afterwards, Samantha and Jacob were walking together again.

"So, Jacob, why do you know how to sell?" Sam asked.

"No reason. Lets be getting back home"

They completed the 'routine' by going back through their windows, getting dressed back into sleepwear, and crawled into bed.

Hours later, around noon the James and Hannaways ate lunch, the adults in one room and the children outside on the porch. Another 'routine' that Jacob and Sam had was to distract the servants and go listen in on their parent's conversation. Usually they were quite boring, but an occasional interesting tidbit was mentioned. The servants probably knew exactly what they were doing, and because it was harmless the usually played along.

Yet on that day, they were trying hard to not let them go. But, Jacob succeeded in getting them distracted as he and Sam sneaked in.

"There must really be something important today, Samantha"

"Yes, I think so to" Sam agreed.

"Shhh!" Jacob commanded as they positioned themselves in their "spying" places.

Inside parlor where adults conversed

"Now, Mr. and Mrs. James, you do remember the agreement we made when young Samantha was born, don't you?" Adam Hannaway inquired of Elizabeth and Robert James.

"Yes, sir, of course we remember." Elizabeth replied.

"Barbara and I believe we should inform Jacob and Samantha next month on Jacob's 13th birthday." Adam continued.

"Oh, yes, yes I do suppose that would be a good time. Jacob and Samantha are already wonderful friends, telling them they are betrothed would be great news to them." Robert James responded.

"Excellent!" Barbara exclaimed.

Jacob froze, his face turning to a ghostly tone of white. "Lets go." He barely whispered to Sam, who was blinking into space, confused. They tip-toed outside, Jacob leading the way back to his house, and up into his room.

"J-j-Jake, what d-did they mean 'betrothed'?" Sam nervously asked, frightened by Jacob's quiet, confusing mood.

"It means they agreed to have us get married when we're older. We don't have a choice!" Jacob angrily explained, his voice rising to a yell.

Samantha just stopped, and fell to the floor, just staring in disbelief.

"But we're best friends..." she mumbled. Jacob didn't say anything, but grabbed his travel bag and began filling it with clothes, some money, and a few other items, including a picture of Sam and him when they were young. _I don't hate Sam. I hate that my parents are continuing to control my life. _

Sam just watched her best friend throw things in a bag with fury. She didn't ever get angry, but simply a silent, maddening disappointment, which was the state she was in."

"I'm out of here, Sam. I know this is a big responsibility for you, but don't tell the parents that we know, or that I ran. They'll figure out I ran, but even with pressure from the parents and police, stay quiet. And don't ever tell them we know. Don't let them control you either. You got your own mind, use it. Bye" Jacob said, awkwardly hugging Sam.

He crawled out the window, but turned to nod at Sam. She bit her lip, and he continued out the window. Samantha stared at the window for a few minutes, in complete shock at how her life just changed forever. That was the last day she ever saw Jacob Adam Hannaway.

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Like I said, I gotta get off. Carrying the Banner!

**Cookie**


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